LATICS ANNOUNCE BESIKTAS FRIENDLY

UEFA Champions League outfit to visit Leigh Sports Village on Tuesday 15th July.

Latics will take on Turkish Champions League qualifiers Besiktas at Leigh Sports Village on July 15, the penultimate match of Uwe Rosler’s domestic pre-season programme.

The Istanbul-based team have a training camp in the North-West and Rosler is delighted he has managed to arrange a match against such high calibre opposition.

“We needed another match before we go to Germany,” he said. “Besiktas will be a really good test of where we are physically and tactically at that stage.

“The only thing that matters is that we are ready for Reading on August 9 and this match will be an important part of our preparation.”

13-time Turkish Super League winners Besiktas will return to the UEFA Champions League for the first time in five years in the 2014-15 campaign after securing a third place finish in the Turkish top-flight last season.

They are managed by former Croatia manager and West Ham United and Everton defender Slaven Bilic, who led the Black Eagles into Europe’s elite competition in his first season in charge.

Notable current squad members include Czech Republic international defender Tomas Sivok and former Fulham and Cardiff City midfielder Kerim Frei.

The only Latics player to have experience of playing against Besiktas is Scott Carson, who faced them on four occasions for Bursaspor between 2011 and 2013, recording one win, a draw and two defeats.

Ticket details and kick-off time to be confirmed on wiganlatics.co.uk in due course.